


Can't Escape Forever

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Alternate Universe - Vampire Slayer, Blood, Blood Drinking, Gore, Kyoutani's slightly less sassy and more pissy, M/M, Psychological Warfare, Vampires, Violence, Yahaba's a sass master tbh, also the vampires are sorta ooc for....plot reasons I guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-03 00:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6589483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yahaba did not sign up for this.</p><p>(Or, the one where Yahaba is terrified of being a vampire slayer but does it anyway, Kyoutani is his ironically undead partner, and everyone is just trying to survive the whole ordeal.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Won't you bring me down to size

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I love vampires, and I don't have a good explanation for why it's taken me so long to do a vampire AU? But I'm hella excited sO LET'S DO THIS THING
> 
> The goal is to update weekly (or as close to it as I can), and I'm thinking it'll be 8-10 chapters but we'll see. I'll update the tags/characters/warnings/etc as I go if I need to.
> 
> Also, the title is from [this song](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYDrC25kAS0).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspo [x](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2K2Lo-vThho)

“Yahaba Shigeru, you've been assigned to the Seidou Division,” a tall man with a fake smile plastered onto his face announces. “Please come with me; I'm Oikawa Tooru, division leader.”

Shigeru gets up from his chair rather shakily, considering he's been sat in the same spot for nearly two hours, and follows Oikawa through a set of swinging doors. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Oikawa waves a hand dismissively as he looks through the papers attached to the clipboard in his other hand. “Don't call me sir, it makes me feel old. Please, have a seat.” He motions to a chair opposite the one he's currently sinking down into, crossing his legs primly.

“Sorry, Oikawa.”

He smiles, apparently pleased with the lack of formality. “No worries. Nice to meet you, Yahaba.”

“You too.”

“So I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now - since you've been at the academy - and I must say, you have some promising results.” Oikawa nods as he turns a paper over to examine the other side. “And you scored very well on the examinations, so I have full confidence in you.” He flashes Shigeru another intensely forced smile.

“Thank you,” is all Shigeru can rightly say to that.

“I think I should start by telling you, though, that your assigned partner is not exactly…conventional.”

Shigeru cocks an eyebrow without really meaning to. “How so?”

Oikawa sighs, like he's dreading the conversation to come. Which he probably is, but Shigeru doesn't know that yet. “Well, for starters, he's been on the force longer than you or I have been alive.”

“That's a good thing, right?” Shigeru doesn't understand where Oikawa’s going with this; he wishes he'd just get on with it.

“Normally, yeah, but it's the reason he's been in the business so long that might be an issue.” Oikawa clears his throat, almost like he's trying to delay the inevitable. “So far, only Iwa-chan and I were allowed to work with him, for safety’s sake.”

“Iwa-chan?”

“My partner,” Oikawa clarifies. “But anyway, since you exceeded our expectations so tremendously and we've been trying to get our…apprentice off our hands for a while now, we decided to pass him on to you.” He smiles again (and this time it seems slightly more genuine, but still a bit unreadable).

Shigeru shakes his head. “But what does that have to do with the reason he's been in this division so long? Isn't he just some harmless old man by now?”

Oikawa looks at him with something that's not quite pity, but close to it, in his eyes. “No, Yahaba. I think it's best to just introduce you two.” Shigeru just tilts his head, unasked questions lingering in the air. He can see Oikawa’s eyes steel with resolve before he presses a button on his wrist comm unit. “Iwa-chan, bring him in.”

And honestly, Shigeru doesn't know what he's expecting, but it certainly isn't the snarling mass of blond fury that comes barging through the door.

“Uh, he doesn't look older than us,” Shigeru observes intelligently, and he swears he hears his new partner growl as he stalks to the table and leans against it.

“He isn't; technically he's only 24,” the tan guy next to him (Iwa-chan, presumably) explains.

“What's technical about age?” Shigeru blurts, and the other three still instantly.

“Let's just say he's been around longer than he's been alive,” is all Oikawa says before pulling Shigeru up by the arm. “Yahaba, this is Kyoutani Kentarou, your new partner!” He gestures toward Kyoutani with a flourish, and Shigeru stares at him.

“Tooru, don't be so dramatic,” Iwa-chan scolds before taking a step in Shigeru’s direction. “I'm Iwaizumi Hajime, Tooru’s second in command. I've been keeping an eye on our little mad dog here for a while, and trust me when I say he'll be a good partner to have when you're cutting it close.”

Shigeru huffs. “What makes you so sure? I mean, the way you talk makes him sound like a vampire killing machine, but he doesn't look like anything but a huge asshole to me.”

Oikawa and Iwaizumi tense simultaneously, which makes Shigeru think he's said something wrong. Before he can express as much, Kyoutani’s taking a step closer to him and snarling in his face. “Do you wanna see what I can do, pretty boy?”

Shigeru hardens his gaze, silently challenging Kyoutani to show him what he's got hidden up his sleeve. Oikawa and Iwaizumi share a glance, but neither makes a move to break up the tension, so Shigeru sits in the nearest chair and waits. Once again, he's surprised despite the fact he has no concrete expectations for the situation.

Kyoutani stands there, perfectly still, for a beat before smiling. That's all he does, bare his teeth; and then Shigeru understands because for the first time, he can see Kyoutani’s sharp fangs pressing into the flesh of his bottom lip.

He exhales sharply, reflexively taking a step toward Kyoutani to get a better look. From this close, he can see that Kyoutani’s wearing contacts; the blood red of his irises is peeking out around his pupils, barely noticeable from a distance. Now that he's so close, Shigeru can also tell Kyoutani isn't breathing, no soft gusts of air ghosting across Shigeru's face despite their proximity. He stares into Kyoutani’s eyes for a solid minute, trying to process this epiphany he's just had.

He's been assigned a vampire as a partner. To hunt and kill vampires.

It's enough to make him lose his shit. “What the hell?! Did you think this would be _funny_?” he spits as he turns to Oikawa and Iwaizumi. “The whole reason I went to the academy was to kill vampires, and now you want me to work with one?” He's breathing heavily, a mixture of panic and dread settling in his gut.

Oikawa just blinks at him. “Well, yeah. It's a smart move tactically, plus we have full confidence that Kyoutani will be cooperative.”

Shigeru narrows his eyes. “And what the hell makes you so sure?”

“We’be been monitoring him for almost a year,” Iwaizumi cuts in. “He's done nothing but follow orders, even if he complains the whole time. And think about it, Yahaba. What better way to kill a vampire than using their own strengths against them?”

“I don't know, it just sounds like fighting fire with fire to me. Someone’s bound to get burned, and at this rate it'll be me.” Shigeru shoots a glare at Kyoutani, who doesn't react.

“Look,” Oikawa offers, “Try getting to know each other. We’ll leave you two for a while, be back later. In the meantime, ask each other whatever you want. You don't have to tell us anything, just build up some trust or you're never going to be fit for combat. Deal?”

Iwaizumi is frowning at Kyoutani, so he mutters a resigned, “Deal.” Shigeru is less easily swayed, but he doesn't particularly want to piss off his superiors mere hours after getting the job. He nods as he bites his lip, and Iwaizumi ushers Oikawa out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Kyoutani props himself up against the tabletop again. “So, what's your story?” He's looking at his nails - no, his _claws_ \- disinterestedly.

“You first,” Shigeru argues, and Kyoutani shrugs.

“Alright, but where do you want me to start?”

Shigeru furrows his brow. “I guess the first thing is, what made you become a vampire in the first place? Everyone knows you can only turn if you willingly drink a vampire’s blood, and no person in their right mind would do that.”

Kyoutani hums in agreement. “I wasn't in my right mind when I did it.” He sighs, shoulders sagging.

“It was over 400 years ago now, but back then typhus was all over the place, and there was no cure for it. I got some lice from god knows where, caught it, and nearly died. A few days later a doctor was doing his rounds, offering all of us who had typhus a chance to survive. He was a vampire, obviously, and said he'd let us drink his blood if we wanted to live, or we could die from the epidemic. I had a little sister, no parents, and I didn't wanna leave her all alone, so I drank his blood. I was so sick I didn't realise what I was doing, not really, and turns out my sister died from typhus before I even woke up. By then it was too late, I was already a vampire, and I was so thirsty I couldn't control my own body. My sister was the first person whose blood I ever drank.” Kyoutani looks dazed, haunted. "I guess vampire slaying is my way of atoning for my sins."

Shigeru feels like he should do something, but doesn't know what; he's never been good at comforting people, so he settles for telling his own story. “I was the opposite; a vampire didn't try to save my life, it tried to kill me. Long story short, my mom sacrificed herself to save me, and my dad tried to fight the vampire and got himself killed like the idiot he was. I was so angry at him for so long because I thought he let my mom’s death go to waste, but eventually I had to admit that I was just too scared to protect anyone. I let my own parents get themselves killed, watched them die, just because I couldn't bring myself to face my fears. So I joined the academy, hoping it would make me come to terms with my resentment and overcome my weakness, but I won't know if it worked till I actually fight a vampire.” He sighs, long and heavy.

“You don't seem to be too afraid of me,” Kyoutani points out. When Shigeru looks up to meet his partner’s eyes, he sees that Kyoutani is studying him. What he's searching for though, Shigeru doesn't know.

“I'm not.” He pauses, considering. “I mean, I am, but I figure it's better to have you on my side than try to fight you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Shigeru props his chin up with the palm of his hand, supporting his weight on his elbow. “There are only three ways to kill a vampire, right?”

Kyoutani narrows his gaze at him, as if he's trying to decipher what Shigeru’s saying even though it's probably the most obvious thing in the world. “Yeah.”

“So, I can either stake it through the heart, or burn it. That's all they teach us at the academy, because that's all we can do, in the end.”

“But you said there's three ways?” Kyoutani gnaws on his bottom lip, oblivious to what Shigeru’s implying.

“There are. But the third way, ripping its head off, can only be done by something that's as strong as a vampire. And what's as strong as a vampire?” He lifts an eyebrow, waiting for Kyoutani’s response.

“What.” It's not a question, just an invitation for Shigeru to state what's now glaringly obvious.

“Another vampire.” A menacing smile creeps its way onto Shigeru’s face, and Kyoutani swallows audibly. “So basically, you're my secret weapon.”


	2. Everything and nothing always haunts me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspo [x](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rEamE0MYPkg)
> 
> Sorry this took so long?? I won't bother y'all with details but a ton of shit happened and I was A Mess but from now on I'll update every Monday!

The first thing Shigeru notices is that Kyoutani isn't wearing the contacts today. His eyes are a brighter red than they had been when they'd first met, presumably because he's just fed. Shigeru doesn't know how to feel about that, so he opts to ignore it. Or try to, that is, but he can't help wondering where Kyoutani got blood to feed in the first place. He thinks maybe he doesn't want to know, so he doesn't ask.

Shigeru can't let himself get distracted today, since they're going to be evaluated as a team by Oikawa and Iwaizumi, and his career as a vampire slayer hangs in the balance of how he performs. And how he and Kyoutani perform together, which is honestly the part Shigeru’s worried about. He's got no clue how well Kyoutani works with others, so he's tense as all hell when he steps into the locker room to change into his combat clothes.

They're simple, all black leather (which has the dual benefits of blending into the darkness of the night and also providing a decent barrier against vampire fangs) and various weaponry strapped to his thighs and biceps. It's just an assortment of silver knives and wooden stakes of different sizes, since guns won't be any help against the undead. Kyoutani, for his part, is just wearing a black shirt and cargo pants. It looks like he's carrying something in the pockets, but Shigeru doesn't care much what it is. After all, a vampire doesn't need the hardware that your average vampire slayer requires; their defenses are all built in. They've both got combat boots on though, so they're able to handle any terrain. Not that they're worrying about it at the moment, considering they're indoors, but the intent is there.

They step into what looks like an oversized gym, and just as bare; Oikawa and Iwaizumi are waiting for them on the far side of the massive room. Shigeru feels the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise in anticipation, and Kyoutani seems to be scanning the room with that superhuman vision of his, already prepared for whatever their superiors will throw at them.

Which, as it turns out, isn't much.

“Hey, Mad Dog-chan! Yahaba!” Oikawa croons as they make their way over to the wall he's leaning against. “We have big news for you~”

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes ever so slightly, just enough to be noticeable but not enough to offend Oikawa. “It's not like it's surprising news, but yeah. We have an assignment for you two,” he huffs.

“Assignment?” Shigeru repeats. “I thought we were getting evaluated today.” Kyoutani grunts in agreement.

“Well…” Oikawa starts, and Shigeru already doesn't like where this is going, “you are, but I called in a few favours. We know you're both talented, and can handle being in the field, so we thought your evaluation would be better reflective of your abilities as a team if it was more...intense than what we usually do.”

“What do you usually do?” Kyoutani huffs, and it occurs to Shigeru that the vampire himself probably never had to be evaluated before, all things considered.

Iwaizumi makes a noncommittal gesture. “It's essentially glorified target practise, nothing worth putting you two through.”

“Like I said, we know you can handle that bit,” Oikawa dismisses. “So, we managed to get you assigned to a fairly straight-forward mission tonight; it’s pretty simple, really. Just meet back here at 2100 hours and we’ll brief you more in detail, deal?” Oikawa grins, like he's offering them the chance of a lifetime. (Or, in Kyoutani’s case, the chance of multiple lifetimes.)

Kyoutani just nods toward Iwaizumi, and somehow Shigeru finds himself shrugging in approval, which sends Oikawa into a fit of clapping and general dramatics. “Okay so now that we’ve got that sorted out, here's the fun part!” he chirps.

Iwaizumi butts in again before Oikawa can get too carried away. “It's a rule within the district that all slayers that work in teams must live together for the first year of their partnership; it's meant to build trust, or some bullshit.” He looks vaguely like he's having war flashbacks, but neither Shigeru nor Kyoutani have the balls to ask what that's about. “So long story short, Kyoutani is gonna live with you from now on, Yahaba.”

Kyoutani literally growls from where he's standing to Shigeru’s left, and Shigeru feels himself get whiplash he turns so quickly to glare at Iwaizumi. “You've got to be joking,” he wheezes.

Oikawa shakes his head, and for some asinine reason he's smiling. “Nope! Mad Dog-chan here has been couch surfing for years now, so the board thought it was about time they let him off the hook and got him to settle down.”

Shigeru is seething, and he doesn't want to upset his boss but he honestly can't stand for this. “Look,” he spits, “I came here to kill vampires. As in, put them in their proper place, which is the fucking cemetery.” Kyoutani winces at that, but doesn't comment. “And okay, you want me to work with one. I can suck it up for the simple fact that having a vampire on my side is a lot smarter than it may seem at first glance, but _living_ with one is literally asking to get murdered. I personally don't feel the need to endanger my life just for the sake of making him feel alive, or whatever.” He gestures crudely in Kyoutani’s direction, who's taken to glaring at him.

Iwaizumi frowns, and Oikawa’s face darkens so suddenly and deeply that Shigeru has to fight the urge to hide behind Kyoutani, as ironic as that is. Apparently the universe has a cruel sense of humour; and Shigeru’s only further convinced of that fact when he hears Oikawa say, “Yahaba-chan, I don't think you understand.” Despite his understanding words, Oikawa’s voice is laced with venom, and when he takes a step toward Shigeru the tension in the air becomes palpable. “This isn't an option, and if you value your - however brief - employment as a vampire slayer in the esteemed Seijou Division then you'll kindly shut your mouth and help Kyoutani pack his things.” He smiles, spins on his heels, and walks out.

Iwaizumi isn't far behind, leaving Shigeru alone with Kyoutani and the knowledge that he may not survive the night.

-

Before he can worry about making it through the night though, Shigeru’s got his hands full trying to deal with what's happening at the moment. It's past noon by now, and he’s still filling out paperwork for the board to grant him permission to be Kyoutani’s official guardian. Because evidently, the higher-ups expect Shigeru to trust a vampire when they're not willing to do that themselves. It's not really a confidence boost, but Shigeru knows he won't accomplish anything by arguing about it, so he begrudgingly complies with all his superiors’ ridiculous commands.

And honestly, moving Kyoutani into the apartment is short work. Shigeru’s apartment is not too small, but modest; it's only got one bedroom, so he tells Kyoutani he'll have to take the futon since Shigeru may be willing to sacrifice a lot for his job, but literally sleeping with the enemy is crossing a line. The only other rooms are the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a closet that doubles as a laundry room. Shigeru gives Kyoutani the grand tour, which takes all of five minutes, and then asks what things he's brought with him.

Kyoutani throws his duffle bag on the floor of the bedroom and mumbles a simple, “clothes” as he starts unpacking said necessities. Shigeru notices a bag that looks suspiciously lumpy, so he walks over to it and squats beside it, throwing an offhanded comment about helping Kyoutani unpack over his shoulder. Kyoutani doesn't respond, so Shigeru takes that as permission and unzips the suitcase closest to him.

And immediately wishes he hadn't done that.

“What the FUCK?” he yells, breath coming out in sharp gasps as he senses Kyoutani moving closer to his side. “What the hell is all this?”

“‘All this’ is pretty self-explanatory, I think.” Kyoutani huffs, pulling Shigeru towards his lap and hugging him from behind, rubbing soothing circles into his back as Shigeru’s breathing evens out. “I gotta drink blood, y’know. It kind of comes with the whole ‘vampire’ gig.”

Shigeru laughs without mirth. “Yeah, but do you always keep your blood bags in a goddamn suitcase?”

“Well what do you want me to do, carry a purse?” Shigeru can feel Kyoutani shaking his head against his cheek. “It's just for when I have to move a lot of it at once, normally I just shove it in my backpack. I don't usually stock up on so much either, but -” He cuts himself off, and Shigeru pushes away to face Kyoutani.

“But what?” Shigeru prompts, cocking an eyebrow.

“I mean, you aren't super thrilled about being my partner, so I don't want you to see me thirsty and get scared because it makes me pretty grouchy. Plus I wasn't sure how living with a human would...affect me. Like, thirst wise.”

Shigeru blinks at him. “Uh. Okay? I never really thought living with a human would make you thirstier. Don't you spend all your time with humans anyway?”

“No. I had a few places I'd crash when the smell got to be too much and I didn't have any blood on me, so I tried to avoid people as much as possible. I'll still avoid you, don't worry, but it'll be harder than my previous arrangements were.” He shrugs.

Shigeru doesn't ask what his “previous arrangements” consisted of, even if he is confused because Oikawa had said Kyoutani just couch surfed. Apparently that was a nice way of putting whatever Kyoutani had resorted to in the past several years, and Shigeru wasn't dying to know more.

“Whatever, just don't bite me or I'll kill you.”

Kyoutani actually barks out a laugh at that. “I don't drink blood directly from people, that's gross.”

“Isn't that like, the whole premise of being a vampire?” Shigeru is so done trying to figure out all this vampire shit, and Kyoutani is laughing again which isn't helping.

“200 years ago, maybe. Vampires haven't hunted from humans directly for a long time now.”

“Wait. What?” Shigeru can practically feel himself getting frown lines he's scowling so hard, but he can't find it in himself to care.

“Look, I know you have this idea that all vampires are vicious killing machines, but most of us are...normal. I mean besides needing blood to survive, and being undead, and unable to go out in the sun very much -”

“Very much? I thought you couldn't at all.”

Kyoutani laughs harder, and Shigeru can feel his stomach muscles tensing against his back. “For a vampire slayer, you don't know much about us, do you?”

Shigeru just stares at him. “Okay but really, what happens if you go in the sun? And where do you keep all that blood? You are _not_ putting that in my fridge, if that's what you were thinking. And where are all these supposedly nice vampires, anyway? The only vampires I know are…”

“Murderers?” Kyoutani offers.

“Yeah. ‘Mindless consumers of human flesh,’ as they put it at the academy.”

Kyoutani runs a hand down his face in defeat. “Is that what they teach you? Shit, no wonder you hate us.”

“Well there's that, but vampires also murdered my entire family, which tends to put a damper on any potential relationship.”

“You have a point. But I do know a lot of chill vampires, so maybe I can introduce you some time. And as for the blood,” he gestures toward the open suitcase, “I don't put in the fucking fridge, god. I don't even bother keeping it cold, though some of us do. It's personal preference, really.”

“Doesn't it expire?” Shigeru frowns. He's given blood before, so he knows they refrigerate it in hospitals and the like, which is his only point of reference.

“Not for our purposes. If you're gonna use it in a blood transfusion, you gotta be careful ‘cause it starts to decompose if you don't keep it at certain temperatures. But for us, it doesn't do much besides change the taste. And if you ask me, it's like wine; the longer you let it sit the better it tastes.”

“That's fucking gross, man.”

“Hey, don't knock it till you try it.” Kyoutani scratches his nose self consciously. “But yeah, that's the same reason we can't go outside much. It doesn't actually hurt us, but our bodies are dead, y’know? And rotten flesh doesn't smell good when it gets hot, trust me.”

“That's even grosser.” Shigeru covers his mouth with his hand and makes retching noises for effect, earning an eye roll from Kyoutani.

“Don't be dramatic.”

“Kyoutani, it is physically impossible for me to be anything less than dramatic.” He places a scandalised hand on his chest as if to prove a point.

“Shut up, I know that. You're obviously more comfortable with me than you made yourself out to be.” He nods at Shigeru for emphasis, and it's only then Shigeru registers how they're sitting.

He's sat on the floor cross-legged, his back against Kyoutani’s chest as Kyoutani leans back slightly to prop himself up on the heels of his hands. Kyoutani’s legs are stretched out on either side of Shigeru’s, so he’s resting his forearms on the junction between Kyoutani's hips and upper thighs, and he's got his head lolled back onto Kyoutani’s shoulder. It occurs to him, vaguely, that if you'd asked him earlier this morning if he'd ever expose his neck to a vampire like that he'd say “no fucking way,” and yet.

He's not entirely uncomfortable with their current position. “I guess I don't hate you as much as I want to.”

Kyoutani cracks a smile for half a second before faltering back into his trademark scowl. “I think you know deep down you can't judge a book by its cover.”

“Don't say that, oh my god. You make it sound so cliche.”

“It is cliche. You wanted to hate me because I'm a vampire, but you know you can't actually generalise us like that. You've known other vampires too, haven't you? Besides the ones that murdered your family.” His cold stare is boring into Shigeru’s brain, it has to be; that's the only explanation for his knowledge of Shigeru’s complicated past. Not that he knows much of it, but it’s still too much.

“That's beside the point.” Shigeru rolls his neck around in a circle just for something to do, and Kyoutani looks thoughtful.

“You'll come around,” is all he says before nudging Shigeru up and pulling him to his feet. “Now let's get some rest; we have a long night ahead of us.”

Shigeru gasps mockingly. “But I thought vampires couldn't sleep!”

Kyoutani rolls his eyes. “Just shut up and get in the damn bed.”

Shigeru doesn't argue, just lays back as Kyoutani goes to work setting up the futon. He realises he should probably help, since it's his apartment and all, but he's so warm and comfortable and he can't force himself to lose that just for the sake of formality. So he doesn't, he just lays there and watches Kyoutani’s back muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt till he's finally settled. Kyoutani doesn't breathe, so there's no real indication he's asleep besides the fact his eyes are closed, but somehow Shigeru can tell he's nearly passed out already.

He really hadn't known vampires could sleep, if he's being honest, but he doesn't bring it up again. They'll have plenty of time for that later, assuming they survive the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE GORE STARTS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER ARE YOU READY


	3. Beneath all your armour, you're just flesh and bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspo [x](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-aie5aKN-ds)
> 
> Whoops I fell asleep before posting this last night foRGIVE ME

“Kiyoko Shimizu.”

Shigeru stares blankly at Oikawa for a few moments before turning to Kyoutani, who looks about as uninterested as he is undead. “Am I supposed to know who that is?”

“Not yet,” Iwaizumi supplies less than helpfully. “She's a pretty strong opponent, as vampires go, but I think her fighting style will be...easy for you guys to handle.”

Kyoutani nods fervently, like he does any time Iwaizumi talks, but Shigeru needs more than that. “How so?”

Oikawa elbows Iwaizumi in what he probably thinks is a subtle move, and clears his throat. “It's complicated, but you'll know once you get out there. I texted you the coordinates, but Kyoutani can probably track her anyway once you start getting close enough. He's good like that.” He beams at the vampire, who doesn't react in the slightest. “Oh, and keep in mind there's a rumour she's gotten herself a new partner, so watch each other’s backs.”

Shigeru feels drastically unprepared for his first actual mission in the field, but before he can say as much Oikawa and Iwaizumi have already walked off somewhere, leaving him and Kyoutani to fend for themselves from here on out.

-

“Do you have any fucking idea where you're going?” Kyoutani rumbles, and Shigeru honestly doesn't have the energy to deal with his sass because they've been walking in circles for approximately an hour now and his ankles are too weak for this shit.

“No, but Oikawa said you could track her. Why aren't you tracking her?” he shoots back.

Kyoutani barks a laugh. “That idiot forgot the important little detail that I've got no goddamn idea what she smells like.” Shigeru turns to him, question on his lips, but Kyoutani keeps going before he can interrupt. “Yeah, I know what a vampire smells like, but every vampire smells different. We had different scents when we were living, and just ‘cause we died doesn't change that.”

“So basically you're telling me you could track a vampire, but we might not end up with the right one?”

“That's what I'm saying, dude.”

Shigeru is about a millisecond away from going off on his partner’s very nearly useless tracking abilities, but the snap of a twig somewhere off to the right has them both springing to position, poised in a fighting stance at each other’s backs. “Vampire or human?” Shigeru mumbles in Kyoutani’s general direction, knowing his partner will hear him either way.

“Vampire. Young. Probably only 50 years since they turned.”

Shigeru stutters at that. “Only?”

“That's like, two years in vampire-time.”

“Wow. Thanks for the technical explanation.” Shigeru rolls his eyes even though Kyoutani isn't paying enough attention to notice. “Okay, so why would such fresh blood be out by themselves? Wouldn't it make more sense to have -”

A slight figure makes it way into the ring of yellow emanating from a street lamp, and upon closer inspection it's probably the most non threatening person Shigeru has ever seen in his life. It's a girl, barely five feet, with a cute bob and large brown eyes that look terrified beyond belief. Shigeru can practically see her life flashing in front of her eyes.

Once she spots them, she breaks into a run and collides full-force into Shigeru’s stomach, dampening his shirt with tears. He quickly sheathes the knife he'd grabbed at some point in his panic, so as not to scare her more than she obviously already is, and gingerly wraps his arms around her frail shoulders in an attempt at comfort.

She sobs, sinking into his arms. “Please, help me. There's a vampire lady, she's scary and she wants to kill me and I can't -”

“Shh, shh,” Shigeru soothes, thanking the universe and any deity who'd listen that he'd had the foresight to make Kyoutani wear his contacts tonight. “We’ve got it, just stay behind us, okay? Do you know where the vampire is right now?”

She nods weakly, pointing off in the direction she came from. “She was following me, but I lost track of her a long time ago.” Her lip quivers, like she's about to burst into another bout of crying, so Shigeru hands her off to Kyoutani and walks toward the tree line she’d emerged from.

He hears Kyoutani lightly padding up beside him a minute later, and turns to check on the girl. She's sat on the curb, holding something Shigeru can't see from this angle. “Don't worry,” Kyoutani whispers. “I gave her something to keep her safe.”

Shigeru doesn't much care what it is as long as it helps her stay calm, so he shrugs it off and they resume their careful approach to what will hopefully be Kiyoko. (Shigeru’s never heard of her before tonight, but according to Oikawa she's been quite elusive, and finding her is no small feat.) They’re trying to avoid going past the thinner patches of trees though, which makes pursuit a bit more tedious. Kyoutani whips his head to the left like he's heard something, and maybe he has; Shigeru can't tell because his senses are nowhere near as sharp as Kyoutani’s. When he suddenly starts walking off to the side, Shigeru follows.

“It's her.” Kyoutani holds an arm out to stop Shigeru in his tracks, and the hair on Kyoutani’s arms is standing up so much Shigeru can see it from where he is.

“How do you know?” Shigeru whispers back, but Kyoutani just shakes his head.

“Trust me. Get back to the girl, keep her safe.” He huffs, and storms off in search of Kiyoko. Shigeru has no other choice than to go check on the would-be victim, so he complies.

He can tell something’s off before he makes it back to the curb she’s perched on. First of all, there's a distinctly metallic smell in the air; one that shouldn't be so familiar and yet it is to Shigeru. He fears the worst, imagining Kiyoko’s somehow beaten Kyoutani to the girl, and kicks off at a run back to her.

But when he reaches the street lamp, the girl is fine. She's covered in blood, yes, but it isn't hers.

“Oh. I d-didn't think you'd be back.” She turns to him as he approaches, looking surprised, freezing with a handful of marred flesh halfway to her mouth.

“I thought vampires only drink the blood,” is the first thing that Shigeru thinks to say, and he kind of wants to punch himself for saying that of all things, but whatever.

The girl laughs, and it's a weirdly innocent sound, kind of like a schoolgirl. “You must be new.” It almost sounds like she pities him. Almost.

“Of course he's new, Yachi. Otherwise he would've seen the truth a lot sooner,” an unfamiliar voice says from behind Shigeru. He spins on his heels, coming face-to-face with the most beautiful woman he's ever seen.

She's got red eyes since she's a vampire, but she's wearing glasses in an attempt to hide that fact behind the glare of the lenses. Her hair is pitch black, and long, and it looks a little mussed from whatever Kyoutani had tried to pull on her but otherwise she seems unaffected. Kyoutani, for his part, had been dragged along behind her by his forearm, and she's still got a bruising grip on him as they stand there. Shigeru isn't quite sure how she managed to subdue him in such a revealing outfit; it’s low-cut, skin-tight, and blood red. Shigeru guesses it's velvet, not that it matters.

“Who the fuck are you?” he blurts, and she flashes the iciest smile Shigeru’s ever laid eyes on.

“I'm Kiyoko.” She doesn't say anything more, but then again she doesn't need to. Shigeru immediately brandishes a knife, aiming it at her like he’ll strike any minute, but other than that he doesn't move - Kyoutani sends him a look that plants him to where he's stood.

“Hey, Kiyoko. Yachi,” he says as he nods to them each in turn. “Nice to meet you, I'm Yahaba. That's Kyoutani.” He points halfheartedly to his partner.

Kiyoko laughs, and it's a gorgeous sound but also the most condescending thing Shigeru’s ever heard. “I know who he is, everyone does. He's a traitor.”

“Uhm. What?” Shigeru asks intelligently as he blinks at Kyoutani.

Kiyoko cuts him a look. “Obviously I can't allow one of our kind to work with the likes of you, now can I?” She tightens her grip round Kyoutani’s arm, and he growls.

“Well actually you could, but you seem a bit possessive.” Shigeru sets his shoulders, spinning his knife around a couple times between his fingers. “But before I take him back by force, I got a question.”

“Excuse me?” Kiyoko narrows her eyes, but otherwise doesn't react.

“Why is your girlfriend over here eating that guy’s guts? I thought you only needed blood to survive.” He gestures vaguely in Yachi’s direction with his knife.

“We do only need blood. The rest just tastes good,” Yachi supplies helpfully as she honest to god sinks her teeth into one of her victim’s bones. It crunches sickeningly, and Shigeru wants to vomit but that would definitely not be beneficial at a time like this.

“Exactly,” Kiyoko agrees. She's practically beaming at Yachi and the gory meal she’s currently enjoying, licking blood off her fingers and spitting out bits of fat every now and then. “So if you cooperate, maybe I'll spare you.” She smirks as she steps closer to Shigeru, running her free hand up his chest and laying it to rest on his sternum. There's a spark of something in her eyes, but Shigeru doesn't believe for a moment it's lust.

“Listen,” he says as he picks her hand up off his chest with two fingers, like he's repulsed by even the slightest contact. “You're hot and all, but you're really barking up the wrong tree right now. Like, really.”

Kiyoko falters, dropping Kyoutani to the ground as she winds both arms around Shigeru’s neck. “Oh? I've dealt with your type before, but don't worry. Everyone surrenders sooner or later,” she smirks. “You're only human.” And with that, she tightens her grip and sinks her teeth into Shigeru’s neck.

Kyoutani is up on his feet in a second, ripping her away from Shigeru, throwing her ten feet away and rushing to catch Shigeru before he hits the ground. It registers vaguely that someone’s screaming, but it takes Shigeru several moments to realise it's him. He stops, gasping for air as his body tenses up and crumples to the ground.

“Shit,” is all Kyoutani says before laying Shigeru down and bringing his mouth to his throat. “Sorry man, this is gonna hurt like a bitch. Stay with me, okay?” He sinks his own fangs into the indentions Kiyoko had left on Shigeru’s neck, and sucks.

It feels like Shigeru’s on fire, starting where Kyoutani’s lips are pressed against the thin skin covering his jugular, and blossoming out into his shoulder and chest like lightning. He’s probably screaming again, or maybe he never stopped, he isn't sure. But Kyoutani manages to get all the venom out in a few minutes that feel like hours, and Shigeru goes limp, limbs like jelly. He sags against Kyoutani’s shoulder, but his relief is short lived once he notices Kiyoko and Yachi are making their way back toward them.

“Kyou-” he starts, but his partner’s already moving, lunging at Kiyoko with a rage that honestly terrifies Shigeru. He doesn't have much time to dwell on it though, because Yachi wastes no time coming after him.

He’d dropped his knife at some point after Kiyoko bit him, so he pulls out another and plants his feet to brace for impact. Yachi hits him square in the chest, right where his heart is beating out of his ribcage. He stumbles back a little, but holds his ground, and takes a quick step forward to slice at Yachi’s arm.

The silver blade burns through her skin, the smell of rotting flesh flooding the air around them as she flinches back. Her pupils dilate, since Shigeru has royally pissed her off, and she snarls as she jumps at him. This time she connects with his left shoulder, and she bites a chunk out of it so deep Shigeru can see bone. She doesn't even chew, just swallows and goes back for another bite. Shigeru doesn't let her, pressing the blade of his knife against her cheek and leaving a nasty brand in its wake.

She screams now, in pain but still furious, and decides to just strangle Shigeru out of spite if the way she reaches for his neck is any indication. He knows if she gets ahold of him it's all over, so he dodges and uses the momentum to knock her to the ground. Unfortunately he goes down with her, but he manages to straddle her waist and pin her down with a knife at her neck and a stake at her heart.

“If you move one inch, I will kill you,” he tells her.

“You'll kill me either way.”

“No, I won't. I'll take you into custody and let the authorities deal with you.”

She looks impassive at that. “I would kill you either way.”

Shigeru starts to say something in response, but he doesn't get a chance before Kyoutani’s there holding Kiyoko’s head in his hand. As soon as Yachi sees it, she's crying, and Shigeru doesn't really know what to do.

“Do it,” Kyoutani suggests, and Shigeru looks at him blankly.

“What?”

“Kill her, you idiot.”

Shigeru doesn't want to, especially now that Yachi’s ignoring him in favour of grappling for what's left of Kiyoko, tears running down her cheeks and sizzling off the burn Shigeru’s knife had left just minutes before. But he knows it's the only way, so he tells himself he's doing the world a justice and shifts his weight so it drives the stake through her sternum and into her decaying heart. It doesn't feel like the right thing, as much as he’d expected it to.

Kyoutani doesn't say anything, just rips Yachi’s head from her shoulders with a sickening tear of flesh and walks off in the direction of Seidou.

-

“So, how was it?” Oikawa asks cheerily as soon as Shigeru walks into his office. Kyoutani is off bringing the remains to Iwaizumi for identification, so it's just the two of them in the dimly lit room.

“I mean, we got them," Shigeru says noncommittally.

“That's good,” Oikawa encourages, but he hesitates at the forlorn look on Shigeru’s face. “Right?”

Shigeru shrugs. “I don't know. I thought I was doing the right thing, wanting to kill vampires, but I didn't expect it to be so...hard.”

Oikawa props his elbows on his desk, hands folding together. “And why’s that?”

“Kyoutani killed Kiyoko first, and when I went to kill Yachi-” He cuts himself off, eyes going wide as it hits him. “She was crying. She wasn't even doing anything to hurt me, all she cared about then was getting Kiyoko back. She wasn't trying to hurt me,” he repeats, like it makes a difference.

Oikawa’s not convinced. “You know, Yahaba-chan, that these vampires we hunt will try to kill you if they have the chance? Even if they're grieving, when they recover they'll go back to their violent ways, and you'll be the one that ends up dead.”

Shigeru stares at him, dazed. “Well yeah, I know that. I guess I just didn't expect them to be so...human.”

Oikawa scowls and leans back in his chair. “They're not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well folks, it's all downhill from here.


	4. Hijack the idea of mysterious ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title inspo [x](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VcVhFTvGbA8)

Oikawa sternly directs Shigeru and Kyoutani to take a couple days off after that, just to make sure they can recuperate from their first mission properly. He isn't worried about their performance, since they'd done a solid job, but rather about the emotional effects that come with being on the field. Not so much in Kyoutani’s case, as he's seen this all before, but Shigeru is still trying to process it all and Oikawa tells him that he needs to take it slow. Shigeru knows that his boss is right, even if he refuses to admit as much.

So that's how, regrettably, Shigeru ends up marathoning every Disney movie in his possession with a five hundred-year-old actual toddler. (Who is currently hogging three-fourths of the couch and getting way too invested in Lilo’s family matters.)

“But Yahaba, Cobra Bubbles is so cool. I can't believe I haven't seen this before. I'm gonna go as Cobra Bubbles for Halloween.”

“Kyoutani, can you shut up for five seconds?” Shigeru rubs his temples in disdain.

“No way, man. You did this to yourself, and now I have a crush on Cobra Bubbles that's entirely your fault.” Kyoutani frowns at him, but for once it doesn't reach his eyes.

“Whatever, you just like him because he's the big buff mom friend like Iwaizumi.” Kyoutani tries to object, but Shigeru holds a hand up to his face. “Don't even argue with me on this, everyone can see how you follow Iwaizumi around like a puppy. You must have a type.” He shrugs, like it makes no difference either way. “Hey, is that why Oikawa calls you Mad Dog-chan?”

Kyoutani narrows his eyes. “No.”

“That's it?” Shigeru raises his eyebrows in question. “I don't even get an explanation?”

Kyoutani hesitates, but it's so brief Shigeru hardly notices. “Not yet.”

Shigeru looks at him for a beat, then decides it's not worth the effort to argue.

-

Thirty-nine hours, sixteen Disney movies and two trips to the convenience store later, Shigeru is sat in Oikawa’s office, Kyoutani pacing the floor at his back, wondering when his superior will find it within himself to actually be helpful in his debriefings.

“So you're telling me,” he begins, “that the only information you have on this guy is that he's a former member of the _Bratva_?”

Oikawa smiles. “No no, Yahaba-chan. He was the Boss’s eldest son!”

Shigeru huffs a sigh. “And that helps us, how?”

Iwaizumi lifts a shoulder in a lazy shrug. “It doesn't really, but it would if Shittykawa would tell you the whole story.”

“And what's the whole story?”

“Didn't the heiress to the _Bratva_ ’s fortune get murdered a few years back?” Kyoutani butts in. “By vampires.”

Iwaizumi nods. “Yeah, the Russian mafia’s always been big on human trafficking, but recently they've started striking up deals with the undead. No one really knows what prompted it, but it's something like the vampires offered protection if the Haibas would provide them with blood.”

Shigeru frowns. “So they, what? Kidnapped people and threw them to the vampires?”

“Basically,” Kyoutani confirms. “But it was a risky deal to begin with, and they had a lot of internal problems as a result. Long story short, some cocky vampire decided to kill Haiba Alisa out of spite, and her brother went apeshit crazy. I heard about it not long after it happened, but I thought he'd been taken care of?” He stops in his pacing to turn toward Iwaizumi, who shakes his head.

“We thought so, but it looks like the Russians have been covering up how drastic the situation actually is. Apparently he's hopped several borders since then in search of the guy who murdered his sister and somehow ended up here, so now he's our problem to deal with.” Iwaizumi sounds mildly annoyed at the prospect, but not concerned.

Shigeru rolls his eyes. “Do you at least know where he is?”

Oikawa grins wickedly. “No, but we know someone who does.”

The door swings open with a bang, knocking Kyoutani’s shoulder on its way to a collision with the wall, and a tall man walks through the door nonchalantly like he's got nowhere to be so he thought he'd stop for a visit. “Tooru!” he yells excitedly before rushing over and putting the other man in a headlock.

A shorter man follows him through the doorway much more calmly, with a “Hey, Iwaizumi,” that's responded to by way of a head nod.

“Oh my god, don't tell me I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing,” Shigeru mumbles, and Kyoutani tenses next to him.

“Oh trust me, you are,” the taller one says as he honest to god sits in Oikawa’s lap. “I'm Kuroo Tetsurou, nice to meet you. Tooru’s had so much to say about you.” He sticks his hand out, and when Shigeru takes it he meets the man’s eyes, which are unfortunately bright red.

“I'm Sawamura Daichi,” the other man says as he crosses his arms over his chest, “and I'm in charge of keeping this loser in line.” He jerks his head at Kuroo, who tries to look innocent but fails miserably.

“How do you know where this Haiba guy is?” Shigeru gets right to the point, dreading that this conversation may last longer than is strictly necessary.

“He used to work for me, before I saw the error of my ways,” Kuroo says. He's got a hand draped pitifully against his forehead, and his theatrics aren't the least bit convincing.

“Can you just tell us where to find him, then?” Kyoutani growls, furrowing his brow at Kuroo.

“Heel, boy!” Kuroo says with a giggle as he stands up to sling an arm around Daichi’s shoulders. “We have a potential hideout spot, but it's not a guaranteed thing.”

Daichi shrugs him off. “You know that old high school that got abandoned last year because of health code issues? Nekoma?” Shigeru nods. “We’ve had a tip from one of Kuroo’s moles that he's been hiding out there, but so far no visual confirmation.”

“You know Kenma wouldn't make that up, Daichi. You wound me!”

“Shut up, Kuroo.” Daichi turns back to Shigeru. “I'll give you the address if you're up for it, but honestly it's kind of a gamble.”

Kyoutani yanks the door open abruptly, glancing at Shigeru before turning to face Daichi. “I know where Nekoma is. We’ll go.”

-

Thankfully, they make it to the school without any major setbacks (unless you count the multiple times Kyoutani has to stop to let Shigeru catch up), and at first all seems normal. The lights are out, the grass shows no signs of being trodden, and the air is quiet except for the buzzing of cicadas somewhere nearby.

But really, for a potential vampire hideout, it's all a bit _too_ quiet. Shigeru says as much, and Kyoutani heaves a sigh. “I'll go check it out. You stay here, be ready for whatever comes through that door.”

Shigeru nods curtly, pulling his two largest knives out of their sheathes and crouching behind a bush so he can still see what's happening. Kyoutani makes his way to the decrepit building, knocking a few times before giving up and kicking the door down when there's no answer. Shigeru tenses as his partner crosses the threshold, but doesn't move. He doesn't move for two hours after that, either.

But then Kyoutani’s stumbling back outside, a short man with blood red eyes and light auburn hair right behind him. And he's saying something to Kyoutani, but Shigeru can't hear what it is and it doesn't look like a violent situation, despite the suspicious way Kyoutani’s favouring his right side. So he stays put, and trusts Kyoutani to handle this, because he knows Kyoutani can take care of himself. And hopefully, he'll take care of Shigeru too.

Kyoutani talks with the other vampire for what seems like years, but it's probably only five minutes at most, and Shigeru’s getting restless because something seems off about the whole thing, and he doesn't trust the vampire Kyoutani’s with. He's debating whether to intervene or not, mentally cataloguing all the weapons he has on his person, but ultimately it's too risky to make a move when he has no idea how many vampires are inside. He shifts slightly to keep his legs from going numb as he watches Kyoutani, but it's a fatal mistake. As he moves his weight from the balls of his feet back to his heels, he snaps a twig.

Both Kyoutani and the other vampire whip their heads in his direction before the twig is even broken, their inhuman senses immediately picking up on the sound and reacting to it. Shigeru holds his breath, but the damage is already done; so he braces himself for the inevitable and stands up to face his fate. Kyoutani’s already back by his side, muscles tensed at the ready for whatever he knows is coming. Shigeru doesn't ask, just tightens his stance beside Kyoutani and sends a silent prayer to the universe or God or whoever the hell else that they make it out of this alive.

He really should have known they wouldn't be so lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not much happens here (besides setting up for what's to come) but I kind of had to break this up a bit...plus I've been drugged up on allergy meds lately so writing this was interesting haha


End file.
